Guide to creating a character page
Hi! Creating your first page can often be daunting, so this guide is here to help new contributors on their quest to creating the best articles on the Wiki! Most people start off with a character page, so this is what this guide will be demonstrating. While it is always handy to read guides on editing, the absolute best way to learn the wiki is simply by playing around with it! Don't be afraid to try things out on a blank page. Creating your article... The first thing you'll want to do is make sure your article follows the correct naming conventions on this wiki. When making a character page, please refrain from adding any sort of titles (this includes knighting prefixes, military ranks etc) and un-necessary words. The page should only be titled the direct name of the character. For instance, if the character is named "Sir John Matthews, Duke of Carrington, Admiral of the Blue, Royal Navy (VC, MC), then all you would add is "John Matthews". If there is a conflict with a similarly named article, you may add brackets with their nationality or main role (Averesian/Navy). Beginning your first edit When opening the Visual Editor (which is the editor with the bar at the top, nothing on the side), you will have four main parts to look at. The first is your paragraph and headers drop down box. That will offer you all the different kinds of headers to use. Most articles will be formated like so, History Early life John Matthews was born xyz = That is the usual format given to character articles. While it will not be enforced, it is highly encouraged for article cohesion. For your convenience, here are all the headers and text differences at your disposal. Heading Sub-heading 1 Sub-heading 2 Sub-heading 3 = Sub-heading 4 = "Block quote" Preformatted Sub-headings 3 and 4 are typically not really useful, so don't bother about them. Preformatted will also not usually be used (though you may find it in Stub Articles). Adding an infobox or template Templates are used to enhance the article and give it an avenue to offer a quick run-down of the character or topic with minimal words. For characters, you'll really only be needing an infobox. To find an infobox, click on the "Insert" drop down box below the paragraphing drop down box. Once you've done that, click on the "infobox" option. This will then bring you to a list of unformatted infoboxes. You'll want to click on the "Character" infobox. While it is not 100% complete, it will be suitable for the time being. Filling in the infobox itself is rather straight forward, but to note, the "image" box requires an already uploaded image with its name inserted in (I.E. Guide.png). An example of an infobox is adjacent. To insert other templates, return to the "Insert" drop down box and click on "Templates". Likewise, it is also not fully formatted and will require more time to be edited (those who are looking to become technical admins may be tasked with this...). Additionally, the drop box also offers references, like the ones that may be found in Wikipedia. These references are a great way to correlate sources and additional information (though article linking is more convenient). Tables are unformatted, but you can still give it a shot! Exploration of the wiki and its resources are highly encouraged. Uploading images and videos Images and videos help improve the article's quality and enhances its overall prettiness. While your article may not find itself teeming with images, one or two (particularly in an infobox) can make a valuable improvement. To upload a video, simply click the video button across from the text formatting on the top edit box. Provide the URL or copy of the video will be needed before its inserted in. The same goes for images, which can be uploaded by the picture icon next to the video uploading. The picture itself or its url are needed to be uploaded. Please ensure that all media uploads follow proper conventions and media law. A gallery may also be a good idea if your page does indeed end up having a lot of photos. The gallery page can be found next to the pictures option and juxtaposed to the dot points formatting option. Simply search for the images already uploaded to the site for the gallery to be inserted. Categories Finally, categories are an integral part of your article. It helps increase accessibility of articles all around the wiki and help more people reach your page! Categories can be added and removed at the direct bottom of the page. Ensure that all spelling is correct and that your categories have a blue link to them (if the link if red, check spelling or create the category page!). Need further help? If further help is required, contact any one of the three admins. A list of administrators may be found here. Category:Guides